SpotLight.
A Closer Look at Ryan Brenizer Photography.
Making His Mark.
Ryan Brenizer is an award-winning photojournalist. He has photographed people from Bill Clinton to Muhammed Ali. His work has appeared in newspapers such as the New York Times and Daily News. He has also been published in several magazines, corporate annual reports, and other advertisements.
Ryan’s studio is based in New York and Westchester. However, he travels often. He recently photographed weddings in Chicago and Miami.
"I love weddings," he says, "I love being a guest at a wedding and dancing like mad. Being in the midst of photographing a wedding and collaborating with the couple is pretty awesome too. Weddings are the perfect fit for me because happiness is my favorite thing to photograph." Ryan also happens to be planning his own wedding, which will be in April 2008.
Ryan believes that building a rapport with the couple is crucial to getting great shots. "I bond with my couples as much as possible before the wedding," he says, "I include a free engagement session so they can get used to having my camera in their face," he admits, "By the time we say goodbye, it feels like I'm seeing a good friend off."
Finding the Right Fit.
As you might guess, Ryan is an admitted camera geek. In fact, he is the "official camera expert" for Amazon.com. According to Ryan, "The photographer matters much more than the camera, but if you live with a tool in your hand, you want it to be the right fit for you."
He shoots with top-of-the-line Nikon equipment, and is eagerly awaiting the Nikon D3. "It's the best of both worlds," he says, "In most situations, you won't need a flash, but when you want one as an aesthetic choice, you have the best flash system available."
Ryan also appreciates the instant back-ups in the camera, which increases the safety of the photos. This is something Ryan takes very seriously. Backing up his photos in multiple geographic locations, he tells couples that their photos are absolutely safe "barring total thermonuclear war."
Getting Inspired.
Ryan finds inspiration in all areas of photography. He looks for inspiration from other photojournalists including Steve McCurry. "He has been an inspiration to me as a person, as well as a photographer, because of his incredible tenacity."
Photographers, Chase Jarvis and Phil Toledano, have also left an impression on Ryan. "I love how eager they are to try new things and vary their portfolio when it must be tempting to just do what makes them money," he reflects, "And I appreciate the time they've both taken to give me and others fantastically useful tips."
Ryan especially likes the wedding photography work of Dave and Quin Cheung. "They really blow me away," says Ryan.
Looking Forward.
Ryan is really excited about where the industry is headed. "I think not too long ago, people didn't even know that good wedding photography existed, or thought that it was only for people with six-figure incomes, while the rest of us got the same stale poses."
Ryan believes that people are beginning to appreciate wedding photography as an art they can be part of. He notices that people are fairly comfortable with being photographed as they naturally go about their day. He attributes this to the popularity of the digital camera.
"People worry that the web and digital will be the end of professional photography, but that's dead wrong," says Ryan, "There's more of an audience for photography than ever thanks to the web." Ryan knows it's important to be visible there. "That's why I'm excited about Wedding Party and all the dynamic photographers who are part of the site."
For more about Ryan, visit his site, ryanbrenizer.com. For his most recent photos, visit his blog: Ryan Brenizer on Amazon. And be sure to check out his amazing work on Flickr. Ryan, also known as the famous Carpe Icthus has a large Flickr following, so check out his work.
